Flow regulator for medical liquids and method for its fabrication

ABSTRACT

A flow regulator for medical liquids comprising a first body and a second body coupled to one another in a rotatable way and a gasket set between them and overmolded on the second body. Provided thereon is at least one graduated scale formed by impressions and/or, respectively, by reliefs integral with the second body, and by inserts and/or, respectively, by complementary openings of a side skirt of the overmolded gasket.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Italian Patent Application No.TO2005A000394, filed Jun. 9, 2005, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to the administration ofmedical liquids, and regards more in particular a flow regulator forprecision dosage of said liquids.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known from document EP-B-1312388 is a precision flow regulatorcomprising a first body having a tubular inlet connector and a secondbody having a tubular outlet connector.

The first and second bodies are made of moulded plastic material and arecoupled to one another in such a way that they can rotate with respectto one another about an axis of rotation, with the interposition of agasket made of elastomeric material. At least one dosing passage isprovided between the first and second bodies and through said gasket toopen the communication between said inlet connector and said outletconnector progressively by means of the relative rotation between saidfirst and second bodies. In the flow regulator according to the alreadycited document EP-B-1312388, the first body has a wall facing the secondbody, formed with a plurality of dosing grooves, which havedifferentiated sections and lengths, set concentrically with respect tothe axis of rotation and selectable, via the relative rotation betweenthe first and second bodies, to set the inlet connector in communicationwith the outlet connector through a hole in the gasket made ofelastomeric material.

A similar flow regulator, equipped, however, with a single dosing groovewith variable cross section, is also described in document U.S. Pat. No.5,234,413.

For the production of the above flow regulators three distinctoperations are required for moulding, normally injection moulding, ofthe three components (first body, second body and gasket), and then afurther operation of assembly. Furthermore, said flow regulators arenecessarily equipped with at least one graduated scale, and moretypically two graduated scales arranged peripherally along the side wallof the second body, as well as with a pointer associated to the firstbody and co-operating with the graduated scale or each graduated scalefor visualizing the relative angular position between the first andsecond bodies, corresponding to the selectively set regulation of theflow of liquid from the inlet connector to the outlet connector throughthe aforesaid at least one dosing passage. The graduated scale or scalesand the pointer (not illustrated in the aforesaid prior documents butnecessarily present on the flow regulators built according to saiddocuments, as available on the market) require further operations ofprinting (normally silk-screen printing) to be carried out,respectively, on the first body and on the second body prior to theirmutual assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to simplify the fabrication ofthe flow regulator defined above so as to reduce appreciably the costsof production thereof.

According to the invention said purpose is achieved thanks to the factthat the aforesaid at least one graduated scale includes impressionsand/or, respectively, reliefs formed integrally by moulding on saidsecond body, and to the fact that the gasket consists of an elementovermoulded on said second body and has a side skirt formed withopenings and/or inserts coupled in a complementary way, respectively, tosaid reliefs and/or to said impressions of said second body to completesaid at least one graduated scale.

Thanks to the above idea of solution the fabrication of the flowregulator according to the invention can be obtained using simplifiedequipment as regards moulding of its components, and moreover eliminatesthe need to provide printing equipment for the graduated scale or eachgraduated scale. In fact, moulding of the second body and of the gasketovermoulded thereon can be obtained in a single mould, with thesimultaneous formation of the graduated scale or each graduated scaleusing the material of the gasket, which fills the impressions or,respectively, surrounds the reliefs previously formed integrally on thesecond body.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, thepointer consists of an integral side appendage of the first body,conveniently shaped like a window. This also enables elimination of thesupplementary operation of forming of the pointer by printing subsequentto moulding of the first body.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flow regulatoris equipped with two graduated scales, formed one by impressions and theother by reliefs of the second body, as well as by corresponding insertsand openings of the gasket made in the process of its overmoulding onthe second body.

The graduated scales can moreover be integrated with wordings indicatingthe condition of opening or closing of the flow regulator, obtained withthe same modalities, and moreover the side skirt of the overmouldedgasket can also conveniently form on the second body a perimetralgripping edge, designed to facilitate manipulation and regulation alsowith a just one hand.

Also forming the subject of the invention is a method for thefabrication of the flow regulator defined above, basically characterizedin that it comprises the following steps:

moulding said first body within a first mould and said second bodywithin a second mould with said integral impressions and/or reliefs;

overmoulding said gasket on said second body within said second mould sothat said elastomeric material will fill and/or surround saidimpressions and/or, respectively, said reliefs; and

fitting said first and second bodies to one another in a mutuallyrotatable way.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to theannexed plate of drawings, which is provided purely by of way ofnon-limiting example and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a flow regulator for medicalliquids according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the flow regulator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view from beneath of the flow regulatorof FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view in axial cross section of the flow regulator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, a flow regulator for medical liquidsaccording to the invention comprises in a way generally in itself known(for example, from already cited document EP-B-1 312 388) a first body 1having a tubular inlet connector 2, a second body 3 having a tubularoutlet connector 4, and a gasket made of elastomeric material orthermoplastic elastomer 5, set between the first body 1 and the secondbody 3. It should be noted that, for the reasons clarified in whatfollows, the representation of the gasket 5 in FIG. 2 is fictitious, inso far as according to the invention said gasket 5 does not exist as aunit in itself, but is instead integrated with the second body 3.

The first body 1, formed by injection moulding of a plastic material,comprises in a single piece a plane base wall 6, from which thereproject axially: the tubular inlet connector 2; a side skirt 7 shapedergonomically and open in a position corresponding to the tubularconnector 2, and a central boss 8 formed by elements that can divaricateelastically.

As is illustrated in detail in FIG. 3, the base wall 6 is formed, in aposition corresponding to the face thereof set facing the second body 3,with a series of dosing grooves 9, which are set concentrically to theboss 8 and have different lengths and/or sections. Furthermore, the wall6 has a through hole 10 in communication with the inlet connector 2 anda recess 11 that opens towards the grooves 9.

According to the invention, the first body 1 is moreover formedintegrally with a projecting side appendage shaped like a window 12,which, as will be seen in what follows, defines a pointer.

The second body 3, which is also made of moulded plastic material, has atop wall 13, delimited peripherally by axial sectors 14 and from whichthere projects centrally an integral pin 15 shaped so as to engage bysnap action in a rotatable way within the boss 8 of the first body 1.

The top wall 13 has a through hole 16 in communication with a tubularoutlet connector 17 radially staggered with respect to the tubular inletconnector 2 of the first body 1 and projecting within a circumferentialskirt 18 formed integrally with the body 3.

Between the wall 13 and the skirt 18 the second body 2 is moreoverformed integrally with a circumferential side flange 19, partiallyformed on which are a first graduated scale and a second graduated scaledesignated as a whole by 20 and 21, which indicate (with different unitsof measurement) the flow of liquid that, in use, traverses theregulator, entering the inlet connector 2 and exiting through the outletconnector 17.

The first graduated scale 20 is in low relief, i.e., the numbers thatrepresent it are formed by figures impressed in the perimetral flange19, whilst the second graduated scale 21 is in high relief, i.e., thenumbers that make it up are formed by figures projecting from theperimetral flange 19. It should be noted that the configuration could bereversed, in the sense that the scale 20 could be in high relief and thescale 21 in low relief.

Also integrally formed on the side flange 19 are wordings 22 indicatingthe condition of complete closing and of initial opening of theregulator; also the wordings 22 are in high relief, being formed byletters projecting from the perimetral flange 19.

The gasket 5 includes a plane annular element 23, having dimensionscorresponding to those of the top wall 13 of the second body 3 and ofthe base wall 6 of the first body 1. Integrally formed with said annularelement 23 are a first ring 24 and a second ring 25 set on top of theperimetral flange 19 of the second body 3. The first ring 24 is formedwith openings, which are designated as a whole by 26 and have a shapecomplementary to the numbers in high relief of the second graduatedscale 21 of the body 3. The second ring 25 is formed integrally withinserts, which are designated as a whole by 27 and have shapescomplementary to those of the numbers in low relief that make up thefirst graduated scale 20 of the second body 3. Said second ring 25moreover coats the peripheral edge of the perimetral flange 19 of thesecond body 3, defining a peripheral manual-gripping part.

The rings 24 and 25 are interconnected by a bridge 28 formed withopenings designated as a whole by 29, which have a shape complementaryto the wordings in high relief 22 of the second body 3.

The annular element 23 is moreover formed with a recess 30 facing thebase wall 6 of the first body 1 and with a through hole 31 incommunication with the tubular outlet connector 17 of the second body 3.

As clarified previously, the gasket 5 as a whole does not constitute anelement in itself (as is instead fictitiously represented in FIG. 2),given that it is—according to the invention—integrated with the secondbody 3.

The method of fabrication of the flow regulator according to theinvention envisages the steps described hereinafter.

The first body 1 and the second body 3 are formed by injection mouldingof a suitable plastic material, respectively, within a first mould andwithin a second mould. Following upon moulding of the second body 3,injected within the corresponding second mould is the thermoplasticelastomer that is to constitute the gasket 5 as a whole (annular element23 and rings 24 and 25), which in this way is directly overmoulded onthe second body 3. The second mould will be shaped so that, followingupon the overmoulding of the gasket 5, the material corresponding to thefirst ring 24 and to the bridge 28 surrounds the numbers in high reliefof the second graduated scale 21 and the wordings in high relief 22, andthe material that constitutes the second ring 25 fills the numbers inlow relief corresponding to the first graduated scale 20. In this way,the graduated scales 20 and 21 are thus completed directly within thesecond mould without any need to carry out further supplementaryprinting operations. In order to render the graduated scales 20 and 21and the wordings 22 more immediately and clearly visible, the plasticmaterial used for making the second body 3 and the thermoplastic rubberused for making the gasket 5 will conveniently present colourings thatare different and in contrast with one another: for example, the firstwhite, and the second blue.

Once the steps of moulding are thus completed, the first body 1 and thesecond body 3 with the gasket 5 overmoulded thereon are coupled to oneanother in a rotatable way, introducing and blocking the pin 15 withinthe boss 8 by snap action. Following upon assembly, the pointerconstituted by the side appendage integral to the window 12 of the body1 projects above said side skirt 24 of the gasket 5 and enables, inco-operation with one or other of the graduated scales 20 and 21, orelse with the wordings 22, immediate visualization of the relativeangular position between the first body 1 and the second body 3corresponding to the regulation of flow selectively set by the operator.The setting can be made in an extremely easy and convenient way, thanksto the presence of the perimetral edge 25, even just using one hand.

The operation of the flow regulator thus assembled will not be describedin detail in so far as it is generally conventional and substantiallycorresponds to what is described in already cited document EP-B-1312388.

Of course, the details of construction and the embodiments may varywidely with respect to what is described and illustrated herein, withoutthereby departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined inthe ensuing claims.

Thus, for example, the dosing grooves 9 for opening progressivelycommunication between the inlet connector 2 and said outlet connector 17may be replaced by a single groove with a progressively decreasing crosssection, and in this case operation of the flow regulator willsubstantially correspond to what is described in document U.S. Pat. No.5,234,413, also previously cited, or else by one or more passagesdifferently provided and configured.

1. A flow regulator for medical liquids comprising a first body having atubular inlet connector and a second body having a tubular outletconnector, said first and second bodies being made of moulded plasticmaterial and being coupled to one another in a mutually rotatable wayabout an axis of rotation with the interposition of a gasket made ofelastomeric material, at least one dosing passage being provided betweensaid first and second bodies and through said gasket to openprogressively the communication between said inlet connector and saidoutlet connector by means of the relative rotation of said first andsecond bodies; said second body having at least one graduated peripheralside scale and said first body having a pointer co-operating with saidat least one graduated scale for visualizing the relative angularposition between said first and second bodies corresponding to theregulation selectively set of the flow of liquid from said inletconnector to said outlet connector through said at least one dosingpassage, wherein said at least one graduated scale includes at least oneof impressions and reliefs formed integrally by moulding on said secondbody, and said gasket consists of an element overmoulded on said secondbody and having a side skirt formed with at least one of openings andinserts coupled in a complementary way with at least one of said reliefsand said impressions of said second body for completing said at leastone graduated scale.
 2. The flow regulator according to claim 1, whereinsaid pointer consists of an integral side appendage of said first body.3. The flow regulator according to claim 2, wherein said appendage isshaped like a window projecting above said side skirt of said gasket. 4.The flow regulator according to claim 1 provided with two graduatedscales, the first formed by impressions of said second body and bycorresponding inserts of said side skirt of said gasket and the secondformed by reliefs of said second body and by corresponding openings ofsaid side skirt and of said gasket.
 5. The flow regulator according toclaim 4, wherein said second graduated scale further includes wordingsformed by reliefs of said second body and by corresponding openings ofsaid side skirt of said gasket.
 6. The flow regulator according to claim1, wherein said side skirt of said gasket defines a perimetral grippingedge of said second body.
 7. The flow regulator according to claim 1,wherein said second body and said gasket have different colourings.
 8. Amethod for fabrication of a flow regulator according to claim 1,comprising the following steps: moulding said first body within a firstmould and said second body within a second mould with said integralimpressions and reliefs; overmoulding said gasket on said second bodywithin said second mould so that said elastomeric material at least oneof fills and surrounds at least one of said impressions and saidreliefs; and fitting to one another in a mutually rotatable way saidfirst and second bodies.
 9. The method according to claim 8, whereinsaid pointer is formed integrally with said first body in said firstmould.
 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said second body andsaid gasket are made with different colourings.